Remember Me
by maxandkiz
Summary: After an accident, the Winchesters run into an old acquaintance who reminds them of what's important. Dean- 14 Sammy- 10
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

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Sammy Winchester sat elbows planted on his knees on the bottom step at the entrance to his latest school, Priestly Academy. Head propped on his fisted hands and eyes locked on the yard and road ahead he willed his dad to drive around the corner and put an end to the worst school day ever. He snorted at the idea of his dad saving him from school of all things.

Kicking at the tiny rocks on the ground he let his thoughts drift back to the beginning of his oh so horrible day. It had started with them being a half hour late for school. Nothing new there. When the mighty John Winchester was on one of his hunts until two or three o'clock in the morning, he tended to forget insignificant things like school starting times. "Yeah, like he remembers when he's not hunting." Sammy huffed. Pushing thoughts of his father's warped priorities aside he delved back into his memories scowling as he recalled old Mr. Hubbard, his first period teacher sending him to the principal's office since it was his third tardy in as many weeks. Once inside Sammy immediately noticed that he was facing the principal alone; no Dean in sight. _"Dean manages to talk his teacher, a young blond woman into letting him slide yet again while I'm left twisting in the wind." _He bitterly thought recalling the principal's lecture about trying to be more like his older brother Dean who always arrived on time. By the time the principal had finished his little lecture followed by the threat of detention next time he was late the bell for second period had already rang.

Hearing the distant roar of an engine Sammy quickly sat up staring in the direction of the noise. Seconds later he slumped watching an old Corvette turn onto the street and zoom past the school. Dropping his head onto his fists he let his mind wander stopping at the history class fiasco. And really this one was so not his fault. The teacher had assigned an essay on a famous America. He had spent a week researching and writing the perfect essay on Abraham Lincoln only to read it to the class and get blasted by the teacher for not writing about one of the founding fathers of the "great" town of Jasper, North Carolina. If somebody had just clued him in to the fact that the founding fathers were the teacher's ancestors, he could have saved himself a ton of humiliation.

Of course that was nothing compared to the disaster at P.E. The coach had set up two different obstacle courses for them to complete. One by one the boys in his class had been put through the courses while the coach stood with his timer and yelled at them to speed up. Sammy had done pretty well, he thought especially since he was the shortest kid in his class. Coach Adkins had a different opinion though. He had read Sammy the riot act about his "poor performance". "I can't believe you're Winchester's little brother!" he had shouted. "He can blow through both courses in the time it takes you to do one! Too bad you aren't more like him." Sammy thought if he heard "you need to be more like Dean" one more time he was gonna explode! Don't get him wrong. He loved his big brother. It was just that sometimes it was really hard to be Dean's little brother.

Hearing giggling behind him Sammy turned to see Dean and his girl of the week deep in a, umm, conversation. He quickly spun back around grimacing at the sight that was now imprinted in his memory. Shaking his head to clear the disgusted image that was burned into his brain Sammy looked up and smiled seeing and hearing the impala. "Gotta go, Dean!" he hollered as he slung his book bag over his shoulder and started towards the road where the car was now idling. Opening the back door he threw his bag into the car before climbing in and slamming the door. He watched his big brother slowly walk over as he thought about the training to come. Today was the day he proved to himself and his family that he was just as good as his big brother Dean. He was going to ace the shooting practice, beat Dean at sparring, and keep up with his dad and brother on their run. After today he'd never hear "be more like Dean" again. Sammy leaned back in his seat and gazed out the window, looking forward to the training to come.

Several hours later

Sammy sat slumped in the back seat of the impala glaring at the back of his dad's head. His train wreck of a training session had included the words "more like Dean" eight times. He knew. He'd counted every one of them. Seems no matter how hard he tried Sam just couldn't measure up. At the shooting range it was "Come on Sammy. It only took Dean a couple of times to learn how to hit the bull's eye. We've been out here all week and you still can't consistently hit the target." His dad had then walked away with instructions to keep practicing.

John went to where Dean was practicing and clapped him on the back. After they put away the gun and targets, the two of them had gone over to the "sparring area" John had set up. Sammy had watched as his dad showed Dean some new moves. While Sammy heard things like, "You're doing it all wrong, Sammy" or "Come on Sammy, it didn't take Dean this long to learn it" from a frustrated John, Dean got comments like, "You've almost got it. Just remember to keep your arm bent." Or "That was good for a first time. Try again." From a very patient sounding John. Sammy had no idea why there was such an enormous difference in the way their dad treated them in training. Maybe he used up all his patience when he was teaching Dean a new move? Somehow Sammy didn't think that was it.

Sammy was brought out of his musings when the car came to a stop. Glancing around he noticed that they were at the stop light a few blocks from their hotel. He listened to his dad and Dean animatedly talking about a salt and burn that was set up for this weekend. Dean was so excited he was literally bouncing in the seat at the thought of hunting alongside their dad. Sammy shook his head as the two discussed the supplies they would need and what weapons were needed. Sometimes he wished his family was normal like everyone else.

Sammy leaned against the car window as the light turned green and the impala started across the intersection John and Dean still deep in conversation. A horn blaring, a blinding flash of light, and the crunch of metal on metal were the last things he registered before everything went dark.

AN-Well, what do you think? Is it worth writing or should I trash it?


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

AN- Please excuse my lack of medical knowledge. I am not in the medical profession.

And to RedDragen and Casammy- Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm happy you're enjoying the story.

Previously on Supernatural- A horn blaring, a blinding flash of light, and the crunch of metal on metal were the last things he registered before everything went dark.

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A loud and highly annoying honking noise penetrated Dean's foggy brain ushering him back to consciousness. "Sh't 'p!" he groaned as the pounding in his head suddenly made itself known. When the noise continued unabated he struggled to open heavy eyelids intent on finding whoever was making that noise and strangling them. It took three attempts to get his eyelids apart but he finally managed to pry his eyes open only to shut them again as the sun's reflection off the impala's windshield caused the pain in his head to spike. Dean slowly breathed through the pain like his father had taught him as he tried to recall what had happened. The last thing he remembered was talking about the upcoming hunt with his dad and Sammy. _"Shit! Sammy!"_ he thought as he opened his eyes to slits and squinted at the blurry image in front of him. "Ssssss" he gasped in a voice so low even he had trouble hearing it. Clearing his throat he called out again. "Ssssss-am? D'd?" When he didn't hear a response, his big brother senses kicked in and he quickly whipped his head around which proved to be an extremely bad move. He managed to catch a glimpse of his eerily still little brother before passing out.

Jasper Medical Center

Dr. Nathan Bridges signed the last of his patient orders for the day and closed the file. The sixty something doctor ran a weary hand over his balding head and smiled. After a long twenty four hours he was finally headed home to his family. He stood and walked over to the coat rack in the corner. He exchanged his lab coat for his jacket and grabbed his hat settling it on his head carefully so as not to disturb what was left of his graying hair. Turning he picked up the file and walked out of his office. "Here's the last of the files, Sheila" he said as he handed the file to the nurse in the office next to his. "I'm leaving now."

"Bye, Dr. Bridges" Sheila called as her phone began to ring. She answered the phone and hollered, "Dr. Bridges, wait! There's been an accident and you're needed in the ER!"

Dr. Bridges waved at the nurse to let her know he had heard and then broke into a sprint making it to the elevator just before the doors closed. Walking in he pushed the button for the bottom floor and grimly thought about the task ahead.

At the impala

Dean slowly became aware of whispered voices above him followed by groping hands. Startled he fought his way back to consciousness and opened his eyes. He found himself looking up into the bright blue eyes and smiling face of a lady about his dad's age.

"Son? Honey, can you hear me?" she questioned.

"Ssss-am? D'd?" Dean asked attempting to turn his head. His eyes widened and he began to struggle when he realized that he couldn't move his head or arms.

"Easy son, easy." The paramedic instructed patting his left arm. "You don't need to try to move around right now. Okay?" Seeing Dean's struggles lessen and his eyes focus on her she said, "That's better honey. Do you remember what happened? I know you can't move your head because of the neck brace so you can blink once for yes and twice for no. Understand?"

"_Neck brace? That explains the dog collar feeling."_ Dean thought. He blinked once to show he understood. "Ssss-am? D'd?" he asked again his eyes pleading for information on his family.

"Your dad and brother are going to be just fine. The other paramedics are working on them right now, sweetie." The motherly woman assured him. "Don't worry, we'll have you and your family at the hospital and all fixed up in no time."

A wave of exhaustion hit Dean threatening to drag him back under. Blinking his eyes he fought to stay conscious but it was futile. A shout of "This one's D.O.A." reached him just before he lost his battle with consciousness again.

At the ER

Dr. Bridges stepped out of the elevator and hurried over to the ambulance bay doors where the doctor in charge was anxiously waiting. "What have we got?" he asked.

"Two car accident coming in." Dr. Mayer explained. "There are two men, both in their thirties, one is D.O.A., and the other's not much better off. There are also two young boys. The oldest looks to be around thirteen to fifteen. Head trauma but he has been awake and alert a couple of times. The other boy is also suffering from head trauma along with a dislocated left shoulder, possible cracked or broken ribs, and at least one break of his left radius. He's approximately eight to ten years old."

"Damn! How far out are they?" Dr. Bridges asked.

"They're ETA is five minutes." Dr. Mayer replied. "Rooms three, four, and five are on standby for us. You take the younger of the two boys into room four. Sawyer's getting set up in room five for the oldest. That'll leave room three for me."

"Yes sir" Dr. Bridges responded before turning and heading for trauma room four. He needed to get things ready and there wasn't much time.

Pediatrics floor several hours later

"Bye Evelyn! I'll be by tomorrow to see you and little Amy again." A young brown-haired woman called from the doorway of room seventeen. The lady waved her goodbye and then started back down the hall to the elevators. Noticing two orderlies and a nurse bringing a gurney down the hall she slowed and then stopped as they turned to take the bed into room thirteen. She glanced down at the child on the gurney and gasped. There are the small bed was a young eight or nine year old boy; a boy with a mop of brown hair and a face she'd recognize anywhere. She just barely managed to resist the overwhelming urge to reach out and touch the young boy's arm. Her gaze followed the boy into the room and lingered long after the door had been shut. Taking a deep breath to calm herself she pushed her motherly instincts aside and slowly began to walk away. All her instincts told her to take the child and run but she knew she couldn't. She needed a plan first. After all, her son had already slipped through her fingers twice due to her eagerness and poor planning. That wouldn't happen again. This time Mrs. Lynn Pool was going to take her son Joey back from the man who had kidnapped him so long ago. And nobody was going to stop her; not even Joey's kidnapper, John Winchester.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

AN- Please excuse my lack of medical knowledge. I am not in the medical profession.

Thanks for everyone who is reading this story and a special thank you to all of y'all who have been kind enough to leave a review.

Previously on Supernatural- This time Mrs. Lynn Pool was going to take her son Joey back from the man who had kidnapped him so long ago. And nobody was going to stop her; not even Joey's kidnapper, John Winchester.

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Dr. Bridges walked down the hall of the pediatric wing of the hospital stopping at room thirteen. After taking care of the emergency at the ER the night before, he had made sure his newest patient was settled in and then drove home. At home his thoughts had kept drifting back to the family from the accident. Since all three people in the accident were unconscious when they were found and brought in, the hospital hadn't been able to get any emergency contact numbers which meant that their family didn't even know they had been injured. Unable to stand the thought of the youngest boy waking up in the hospital alone and scared Nathan had taken a quick shower and caught a few hours sleep before driving back to the hospital to check on the little boy. Standing outside the room he silently said a prayer for the small family, pushed open the door, and stepped inside the room. He made his way to the end of the hospital bed and took the patient's chart out of its holder. He read through the nurse's scribbled notes with a frown. It looked like the kid had had a rough night. A whispered moan from his patient had Nathan quickly rounding the bed and sitting down on the edge of the bed. He watched as the boy's face grimaced in pain and another moan left his lips. His eyelids fluttered before slowly opening halfway revealing beautiful green-brown eyes. "Good morning son." Dr. Bridges whispered, "How are you feeling this morning?"

Seeing the blurry figure in front of him Sammy blinked several times attempting to bring the blob into focus. With still blurry vision he took a moment to glance around the small room taking in the drab walls and the various machines. Looking back at the man he opened his mouth and croaked, "Www?" Clearing his parched throat he tried again, "Where?"

Dr. Bridges grabbed the pitcher of water of the nearby table and poured some into the plastic cup sitting with it. He bent a straw, popped it in the cup, and held it to his patient's mouth. "Here you go, son. Take small sips now." He instructed. "I don't want you getting sick." He allowed the young man to take a couple of sips before setting the cup back on the table. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks" Sammy hoarsely replied as he absentmindedly rubbed his sore shoulder. "What happened?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" the doctor questioned pulling a penlight out of his coat pocket. He flashed the light in both of the boy's eyes apologizing to his patient for the pain he was causing. Once he finished he leaned over and pushed the call button.

Sammy hissed as the light doubled the pounding in his head. He fisted his blanket and took deep breathes until the pain faded a little. Seeing the doctor looking at him expectantly he racked his brain trying to recall what had happened. His breathing began to speed up when he realized that he couldn't remember. Clutching the blanket even tighter Sammy gazed fearfully at the doctor as he began to fight to catch his breath.

"Whoa, kiddo! Calm down and breath for me" Dr. Bridges coached his panicking patient. He took the boy's good hand and held it up to his own chest. "Come on now. Breathe with me. In…out…in…out" He kept repeating "in…out" smiling as his patient's breathing began to slow down. Once he was sure the crisis was past he laid the child's hand on the bed and gently ruffled Sammy's hair. "Good job, sport. Want to tell me what that was about?"

Sammy glanced over to the door as a nurse made her way into the room. Looking back at the doctor he miserably whispered, "I can't remember what happened."

"That's okay." The doctor soothed. "You took quite a blow to the head last night and sometimes when that happens it makes it hard to remember things for a while. Don't worry. It'll come back to you."

"Promise?" Sammy asked staring hopefully at Dr. Bridges puppy dog expression firmly in place.

"I promise" Nathan replied. "Why don't we start with an easier question and go from there? How about you tell me your name?"

"Sure" Sammy said giving the doc a small smile. He opened his mouth to answer and then suddenly closed it. The smile slid from his face and his breathing began to quicken once again. He turned wide, pleading eyes on the doctor and nurse and gasped, "I can't remember! I can't remember anything!"

AN- Sorry it's so short. This up and down weather is really messing with my sinuses.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

AN- Please excuse my lack of medical knowledge. I am not in the medical profession.

Thanks for everyone who is reading this story and a special thank you to all of y'all who have been kind enough to leave a review.

Previously on Supernatural- He turned wide, pleading eyes on the doctor and nurse and gasped, "I can't remember! I can't remember anything!"

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Doctor Sawyer whistled as he strolled down the hall of the pediatric wing on his way to check on his newest patient. He sidestepped the breakfast cart that was sitting in the middle of the hall and walked up to the door of room thirty. Pushing the door open he stepped inside just in time to see his young patient throw his legs off the side of the bed. Going over to the bed he crossed his arms and frowned at his charge. "And just what do you think you're doing, kid?" he asked watching as his patient attempted to sit up without success.

Dean glared at the fuzzy doctor in front of him. Grasping the mattress with both hands he managed to pull himself into a sitting position. The color drained from his face as a wave of dizziness and nausea hit him. Feeling the bile rush up his throat Dean leaned over the side of the bed and threw up into the kidney shaped bowl the doctor held under his chin. Once the last of the dry heaves passed he fell back on the bed exhausted.

Doctor Sawyer quickly took the bowl into the bathroom and got rid of the contents. After washing his hands, he returned to his patient's side and carefully lifted the boy's legs back onto the bed. "Don't think you're going anywhere for a while there, hotshot." He informed Dean with a grin as he sat down beside the boy and took out his penlight. "At least not without puking your guts up."

Dean hissed as the light assaulted his eyes. Blinking the spots out of his eyes that the penlight had caused, he glanced up at the doctor and barely managed to keep from laughing out loud. Long dirty blond hair and an earring in one ear made the man look more like a hippie than a doctor. But then again the guy did have some taste. His black and red AC/DC tie proved it. Curious he croaked, "You sure you're a doctor?"

"That's what the card I got from the Cracker Jacks box says" Dr. Sawyer fired back.

Dean grinned up at the doc. He was starting to like this guy. He kinda reminded him of Sammy. Speaking of which; "Hey doc" Dean rasped out, "Where's my brother and my dad? Are they okay?"

"Calm down kid. Your family's going to be fine. Your dad's in a room upstairs with a severe concussion and some broken bones but he'll be fine. There's several lovely ladies up there to take care of him." Doctor Sawyer explained as he scribbled some notes on Dean's chart.

"What about Sammy? Why isn't he in the room with me?" Dean questioned rubbing his forehead in an attempt to quell the pounding in his head.

"Your brother's doing okay." The doctor hedged not wanting to upset his patient. "He's got a concussion, a few broken ribs, and a broken arm. He's on the other hall in room thirteen." Seeing the expression on his patient's face Sawyer rolled his eyes and added, "You two aren't together because of your ages. Kids ten and under are put in one part of the floor and above ten in the other."

Dean started to shake his head and thought better of it. Putting on his best "John Winchester" expression he growled, "Not gonna work. Sammy's terrified of hospitals and I'm not about to leave him in here by himself. You got a choice. You can either take me to him or bring him to me."

"And if I don't?" Sawyer questioned already knowing the answer.

"Then I'll just have to find him myself." Dean replied grabbing the railing of the bed.

"Whoa there hotshot!" Sawyer called as he gently pushed Dean back down. "I'll find your brother's doctor and see what I can do. In the meantime you need to stay here and get some rest. You can't look after your brother if you can't even sit up." He waited for his patient to nod and settle back onto the pillow before continuing. "Now first things first. Let's do something about that headache of yours. On a scale of one to ten, how bad is the pain?"

"Three" Dean fibbed grimacing as a sharp pain shot through his skull.

"Yeah, right and I'm the tooth fairy. Like my sparkly wings." Sawyer deadpanned. "Try again. Without lying through you're a$$ this time, please."

Dean glared at the doctor for a moment and then sighed. "Fine. It's a twelve. You happy now." He huffed.

"Ecstatic." Sawyer replied patting Dean on the leg. "I'll send a nurse in with something for your headache and some breakfast. You take your medicine and eat like a good boy and I'll see about getting you moved into your brother's room." He stood and started for the door. Stopping he snapped his fingers and walked back to Dean's bed. "Oh, one more thing. Do you have any family we can call? Someone who could get here fast?"

"Why? What's wrong?" Dean questioned with a frown.

"Nothing's wrong kid" Sawyer assured the teen. "It's just that we'll be able to cut you lose by sometime tomorrow and without a family member to take you in…"

"You'll be forced to call CPS to find a temporary home for me." Dean growled glaring up at the doctor. Motioning for a pen and paper he angrily said, "That ain't about to happen. I'm not leaving this hospital without my dad and little brother. But since you're being nice enough to move me in with Sammy, I'll return the favor. Here's the names and numbers of two of my uncles. They can be here by sometime tomorrow if you call'em now."

Doctor Sawyer took the paper and pen from Dean. "Thanks kid. You just made my life a whole hell of a lot easier." He said with a grin. "Now get some sleep. Your little brother's gonna need you at your best." He winked at Dean and then quickly shuffled back out the door.

In the hallway near room thirteen

Mrs. Pool sat in one of the plush chairs in front of the windows watching all the comings and goings of the nursing crew. She knew visiting hours hadn't begun yet but she just couldn't wait to see her son once again. She waited for the doctor and nurse to leave his room and then strolled to the door and slipped inside. Her breath caught as she took in the sight of her baby lying in the hospital bed one casted arm propped up on a pillow. She slowly made her way to the bed and tentatively reached out a hand brushing a stray hair out of his face. Taking his good hand in hers she leaned over and whispered, "Joey, mommy's here. Don't worry. I'm not gonna let that bad man get his hands on you again. Mommy's taking you home." Knowing she didn't have much time she reluctantly released the boy's hand and walked to the end of the bed. Taking the chart out of its holder Mrs. Pool carefully scanned the notes grateful for the years of nursing experience she had before Joey's disappearance. After making a mental note of all the supplies she would need, she carefully replaced the chart and slipped back out of the room. Walking down the hall to the elevators she thought over all the things she needed to do before she could bring Joey home. Turning the corner she spotted Joey's doctor conversing with another doctor. Wondering what was going on she casually strolled by before stopping and pretending to search her purse.

"I think putting the boys together is a great idea." Doctor Bridges said. "Being with his brother will definitely make Sammy less anxious about things and maybe being with his brother will jog his memory."

"That's what I was thinking. Well, that and it's the only way we're gonna be able to keep big brother in bed." Dr. Sawyer replied with a laugh. "Hopefully when the boys' uncles get here tomorrow, they can convince Dean to take it easy. But I'm not holding my breath. The kid's as tough as they come. And he's like a mama bear where that brother of his is concerned."

Mrs. Pool listened for a few more minutes before angrily walking away. _"This changes everything."_ She thought as she pushed the down button for the elevator. She had planned on waiting a few days and letting Joey heal a little before taking him out of the hospital but now that plan was out the window. She'd have to get him out of here tonight before his "uncles" came. Stepping into the elevator Mrs. Pool began to hatch a new plan.

That evening

Dean awoke to the feeling of someone staring at him. He slowly opened his eyes, blinked the room into focus, and then turned to find Sammy watching him cautiously. "Hey Sammy. You okay?" he whispered.

Sammy looked at the stranger for a moment before remembering that the doctor had told him his name was Sammy and the stranger in the other bed was his brother. "Ummm, I'm, I'm okay." He stammered still staring at the other boy.

Dean's eyebrows shot up at the fear and uncertainty that he heard in his little brother's voice. He grabbed the remote and pushed the button to raise the head of the bed so he could sit up and take a good look at Sammy. "What's wrong, kiddo?" he asked as he continued to assess his brother. "Are you hurting? Do I need to call for the nurse?"

"No!" Sammy shouted before catching himself. Taking a deep breath he quietly said, "I mean, no don't get the nurse. I'm not hurting. I just, I just, can I ask you something?"

"Sure Sammy. You know you can always ask me anything." Dean replied smiling over at his little brother. The smile slid off his face however when he heard Sammy shyly whisper, "Are you really my big brother?"

Minutes later

Doctor Sawyer glanced over to where a nurse was tucking a now sleeping Sammy into his bed before looking back at his extremely angry patient. He knew he should have brought the kid up to speed with his brother's memory problem but Dean had been sleeping so well that he just didn't have the heart to wake him up. Then an emergency had come up taking him away from the pediatric floor until a few minutes ago leaving him no time to warn the older brother. Oh well, he'd just have to deal with the fallout the best he could. "Listen Dean" he began.

"What the hell is wrong with my little brother, doc?" Dean growled. "You said he was fine!"

"He is." Doctor Sawyer countered. "He's just having a little trouble with his memory because of the blow to the head."

"A little trouble?! He doesn't even know who I am!" he shouted. Hearing a groan he glanced over at Sammy for a moment before rounding on the doctor once more. "This is more than just a little trouble, doc. The kid can't remember his own name." Dean quietly hissed.

"I know and I'm sorry I didn't warn you beforehand Dean." Sawyer apologized. "But there's nothing I can do about that now. You wanna rant and rave at me, go ahead. But get it all out before little bit over there wakes up. The kid's terrified enough without having an angry stranger glaring at him."

"I am not a stranger! I'm his older brother!" Dean ground out glaring at the doc.

"Not to Sammy. To him you're a stranger right now, hotshot." Sawyer explained.

Dean leaned back against the bed and dropped his head into his hands. Hurting and overwhelmed by the current situation he quietly asked, "What can I do to get Sammy back, doc?"

"Just talk to him, Dean. Tell him about some of your special memories together. Maybe something you say will trigger his memory." Doctor Sawyer explained. "And be there for the kid. Little Bit over there is scared to death right now and it's not just because he's in a hospital. He feels like he's all alone. Everyone's a stranger to him and he has no good memories to fall back on. Afraid you might have to deal with a few chick flick moments before it's all said and done."

Dean mulled over everything for a few minutes. "Okay, so you're saying that if I handle Sammy with kid gloves for a while and talk his ears off about things we've done, that his memory will just suddenly come back?" he asked.

"Not necessarily Dean. The mind's a funny thing. No one knows exactly how it works. Sammy may get his memory back tomorrow or a month from now or never. All we can do is wait and see." Sawyer informed him. "Now how about you try and get some sleep? Sammy's gonna need you bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning." Sawyer reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an already filled syringe. Taking a hold of Dean's IV line he quickly depressed the plunger sending the medication into Dean's bloodstream before the boy could protest. "Night kid" he whispered heading to the door.

Later that night

Mrs. Pool glanced down the corridor before pushing the gurney into room thirteen. Closing the door behind her she pushed it up to the bed by the window. She took a moment to peer at the boy in the other bed. After assuring herself that he was fast asleep, Mrs. Poole stepped up to Joey's bed and carefully pulled back the blankets. Taking some clothes out of a small bag on the gurney she quickly changed her son and unhooked him from the medical equipment. Taking a deep breath she reached down and placed one arm under his back and the other under his knees. She gently lifted Joey up and settled him on the gurney covering him with a thin sheet. Mrs. Pool went to the front of the gurney and had just started to push it to the door when a voice stopped her. Looking at the other bed she noticed that the older boy was peering up at her. Slapping on her most reassuring smile she walked over to the boy's bed. "It's okay, son. I'm just taking your brother for a quick chest x-ray the doctor ordered." She lied. "He'll be back before you know it."

"'Kay" Dean muttered as he blinked up at the woman. She looked so familiar but his fuzzy mind couldn't quite place her. His eyes slid shut as the medicine the doctor had given him hours earlier continued to do its job.

Mrs. Pool watched as the boy fell back asleep. She pushed the gurney toward the door and stopped. After opening the door a crack and making sure no one was in sight, Mrs. Pool wheeled the gurney containing Sammy Winchester out of the room and down the hall.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

AN- Please excuse my lack of medical knowledge. I am not in the medical profession.

Thanks for everyone who is reading this story and a special thank you to all of y'all who have been kind enough to leave a review.

Previously on Supernatural- After opening the door a crack and making sure no one was in sight, Mrs. Pool wheeled the gurney containing Sammy Winchester out of the room and down the hall.

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Intense pain in his arm and chest brought Sammy out of his peaceful slumber. Groaning he forced open his eyes and blinked several times attempting to clear his fuzzy vision. The hazy image above him slowly began to sharpen revealing a dark colored ceiling? _"What the hell?"_ Sammy thought. The last thing he remembered was waking up in an overly bright hospital room. He gazed around him taking in the bucket seats of what was obviously a small car just as the car's motion stopped. Frightened Sammy held his breath waiting anxiously for what was coming.

Hearing a groan from the backseat Lynn Pool glanced into the rearview mirror and frowned. It was too soon for Joey to be waking up. They still had a couple of hours before they'd reach the safety of her parents' old cabin. Taking one hand off the wheel she picked up Joey's medical chart and balanced it on the steering wheel. Glancing down she noticed that it was past time for her son's meds. Spotting an old dirt road up ahead she quickly turned off onto the road and drove a few feet before pulling off on the side of the road. She grabbed the supply bag off the passenger seat and climbed out of the car. Mrs. Pool opened the back door and slid inside sitting on the blankets that were piled on the floorboard. She set the bag on her lap and brushed the bangs out of Joey's eyes. "Hey, sweetie. How is mommy's little boy feeling?" she asked as she pulled two vials and syringes out of the bag.

"_Mommy?"_ Sammy thought as he stared at the strange woman. That didn't feel or sound right to him. The only person he remembered being in the hospital with him was that other boy, the one the doctor said was his brother. He glanced around the car for the boy needing the comfort of a familiar face. Finding no one Sammy turned to ask where the older boy was and gasped eyes widening at the sight of not one but two needles. "No!" He frantically whispered as he attempted to push himself away from the hated instruments. "No shots!"

Mrs. Pool set the syringes down and gently placed a hand on her son's chest stilling his movements. She ran a hand down his cheek smiling as he leaned into it. "I know you don't like shots baby, but mommy has to give you your medicine so you'll get better. Just close your eyes, Joey. It'll be over before you know it.

Sammy tried to fend off the woman's hands but he was too weak to stop her from carefully turning him onto his side and pulling down his sweats and boxers. He yelped as Mrs. Pool forcefully plunged the needles into his bare behind before replacing his clothes. He moaned blinking back tears as he was flipped and his sore bottom landed on the backseat.

Mrs. Pool threw the used syringes in an empty baggie, stuffed it in the supply bag, and smiled down at her son. "There now, that wasn't so bad, was it?" she said carding her fingers through Sammy's long hair. "Now close your eyes and go back to sleep, Joey. The next time you wake up, we'll be back home."

Sammy glared at the strange woman as she climbed out of the back seat and shut the door. There was something very wrong going on but he just couldn't figure out what. Who was this woman and why was she calling him Joey? Wasn't his name supposed to be Sammy? Why did the word mommy sound so wrong to him? Why wasn't he still at the hospital? And where was the older boy? Questions swirled around his mind making Sammy uneasy. He shifted on the seat groaning as his backside reminded him that the gentle woman was anything but gentle with needles. Yawning as the meds started to take effect Sammy struggled to stay awake. He needed to figure out what was going on. But the familiar feeling of the car rolling under him combined with the meds soothed him and he soon lost the battle falling into a deep sleep and dreaming of a boy with bright green eyes and an old junk yard.

At the hospital

Bobby Singer dropped down from the cab of his rental vehicle and carefully shut the door. Stretching to get the kinks out of his back he gazed at the huge white Ford truck beside him knowing that the spacious cab had made the three and a half hour ride from the airport comfortable and had saved him from a heck of a lot of pain. He was immensely thankful that John and the boys were in a southern state where pickups outnumbered cars making it easy to rent one. If he'd had to jam his ass into one of those sardine cans that people called "compact cars" and drive that long, he'd need the Jaws of Life to pry him out and an army of chiropractors to straighten him back out. Taking the ball cap off his head he ran a hand through his hair to smooth it down a little and then resettled the cap. Bobby walked to the front of the truck and leaned on the grill waiting for his passenger to retrieve the needed paperwork. A few seconds later Pastor Jim appeared at his side and the two made their way into the building to find their family.

At the cabin

Mrs. Pool pulled her car around the back of the cabin and shut off the engine. She glanced into the rearview mirror to check on her sleeping son before stepping out of the car and quietly closing the door. Taking the key out of its hidden spot by the porch stairs she unlocked the door and stepped inside. She hurried from room to room removing sheets covering the furniture and opening windows. Once the cabin was in order Lynn walked back outside and unloaded the car placing everything where it belonged. After the car was unloaded and their things settled, she carefully carried Joey into the house and gently laid him on his bed covering him with the blanket from the car. Mrs. Pool stood for a moment just enjoying the sight of her son sleeping in his own bed before creeping out of the room leaving the door open just a crack in case he needed her. Turning she glanced around the room. She had a million things to do before her son woke up.

At the hospital

Bobby and Jim walked up to the reception desk of the hospital and smiled at the young nurse. "Excuse me, ma'am" Bobby greeted, "I'm Bobby Singer and this is Jim Murphy. A doctor Sawyer called us about our brother in law and his two boys. Said they were in a wreak a couple nights ago."

"I can help you with that, sir. What's your brother in law's name?" the young woman asked.

"Winchester, John Winchester" Bobby replied. "And the boys are Dean and Sammy."

The nurse typed the information into the computer stifling a gasp when the emergency alert flashed across the screen. Picking up the nearby phone she gave the men a wide eyed look. "Dr. Sawyer will be right with you. Why don't you take a seat over there until he gets here?" she shakily told them.

Bobby and Jim exchanged knowing looks before thanking the nurse and walking over to the small waiting area. They'd seen the look on the nurse's face when she brought up the Winchesters' files and they knew what it meant. Something was wrong with one of them. And whatever it was was bad. That's the only reason the doctor would be coming to see them first.

Bobby paced around the area while he waited for the doctor. Cherished moments from the past flashed through his mind; their first meeting, playing ball in the backyard, making race cars for a school project of Dean's, and of course going to Disney World. As the precious memories flooded through him Bobby dropped down into a nearby chair and did something that he hadn't done in a very long time, not since his wife had died. He prayed.

Pastor Jim said a silent prayer as he waited for the doctor to come tell them the bad news. He watched Bobby out of the corner of his eye knowing his friend was upset but not knowing how to comfort the man. Contrary to what his congregation thought he didn't know everything. Nor was he unfeeling when a family member or friend was hurt. He was just a man after all. He had the same thoughts and feelings as everybody else. He had just learned to be strong for his flock and to control his emotions until he could go somewhere private and let his emotions out. Jim blinked back tears as he kept his eyes glued to the nurses' desk. He was really getting to old for this. Every year it was getting harder and harder to reign in his emotions especially where children were concerned. Seeing his friend sit down he reached out and hesitantly put a hand on Bobby's shoulder. It wasn't much but right now it was the best he could offer. They stayed that way for several minutes both taking comfort in the other just being there.

Both men looked up apprehensively as a very young doctor trudged over to the waiting area and stopped in front of them. "You Sawyer?" Bobby asked as he stood and replaced his now squashed ball cap.

"Yes sir, I am" Dr. Sawyer replied holding out his hand. "And you are…"

This time it was Jim who answered. "I'm Pastor Jim Murphy and this is Bobby Singer. We're the boys' uncles." He pulled his driver's license out of his wallet and handed it to the young man along with a picture of all of them that had been taken on Sammy's last birthday.

Dr. Sawyer scrutinized the ids and photo before handing them back to the men. "Sorry about that. Afraid you can't be too careful." He apologized. "Now, if you'll follow me, I'll fill you in on your nephews and brother in law." He turned and started walking down a hall.

Bobby and Jim followed the doctor into a small conference room and sat down in the offered chairs. Unable to wait any longer Bobby blurted out, "Alright. Let's have it. What's wrong?"

Doctor Sawyer shifted uneasily in his chair. He hated being the bearer of bad news. Looking at the gentlemen in what he hoped was a reassuring way he cleared his throat and said, "Well, first off Mr. Winchester is doing well. He was brought in with a severe concussion, a broken left leg, a couple of broken ribs, one of which punctured his lung, and a sprained wrist. He has been on a ventilator since he came in but that should be removed as early as this afternoon. We re-inflated his lung, inserted a drainage tube into his chest, cast his leg, and wrapped his ribs and wrist. He'll be in a fair bit of pain for a while but he should recover completely. His doctor will be able to answer any questions you may have about his condition. His oldest son Dean is my patient. He suffered a moderate concussion. I'll be releasing him into your care this afternoon. And then there's Sammy. He was brought in with a severe concussion, a dislocated shoulder, a broken arm, and several cracked ribs. He's also suffering from amnesia." Seeing the stunned expression on the men's faces Dr. Sawyer stopped for a few minutes to let them absorb that much.

Bobby let out a relived breath. John and the boys were alive. It sounded like John and Sammy were badly hurt but they were all alive. And that's all that mattered right now. Relaxing back into the chair Bobby glanced over at the doc and frowned at the nervous expression the man was sporting. Something was wrong; something he hadn't told them about yet. Tensing back up Bobby sat up and leaned against the table. "What aren't you telling us?" he growled.

"Well, ummm, you see Mr. Singer" Sawyer stuttered, "We ummm, we kinda, ahh…"

"Spit it out already!" Bobby demanded.

Dr. Sawyer took a deep breath, focused on a spot above the two men's heads, and admitted, "It appears that we have lost your nephew Sammy."

"YOU WHAT?!"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- Dr. Sawyer took a deep breath, focused on a spot above the two men's heads, and admitted, "It appears that we have lost your nephew Sammy."

"YOU WHAT?!"

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"Bobby" Jim warned placing a restraining hand on the angered hunter's shoulder. "Give the doctor a chance to explain."

"Thank you Pastor" Dr. Sawyer said visibly relaxing as Bobby sat back in his chair arms crossed and mumbling under his breath.

"Oh, don't thank me yet, young man." Pastor Jim replied with a scowl. "If it turns out that you are in any way responsible for Sammy being missing, Bobby won't be the only person you'll be dealing with." He paused a moment for his words to sink in. "Understand?"

Dr. Sawyer swallowed the oversized lump in his throat and set his now shaking hands in his lap. "Understood sir" he managed to croak. After clearing his throat several times, he began. "Okay, here's the short and sweet version. Because of Sammy's condition nurses went in the boys' room every hour on the hour to check his vitals. That said we know from the nurses' records that Sammy and Dean were both in their room until midnight. When the nurse went on her hourly rounds at one o'clock, Sammy's bed was empty and he was gone."

"But how is that possible?" Bobby broke in. "Wouldn't one of the nurses at the desk have seen something?"

"Normally, yes" Dr. Sawyer replied. "But there was a code blue in one of the rooms on the opposite hallway about twelve thirty. We think that's when Sammy was snatched."

"What about the video cameras? Did they pick up anything?" Jim inquired.

"I like the way you think preacher" Sawyer said with a smile. "The cameras show a woman in a nurse costume wheeling Sammy out the back doors at twelve forty-five. Whoever…"

"Wait a minute. You said a nurse costume." Bobby pointed out. "Don't you mean uniform?"

"No sir, I mean costume. See, all our nurses wear the standard white uniform that you can pick up pretty much anywhere. But as hospital employees they also wear ID cards like mine." Dr. Sawyer explained holding out his card for the men to examine. "The lady on the tape didn't have a card. She had to have bought a nurse costume from somewhere. The police are already canvassing every store in the area that sells them. Hopefully they will find the shop that sold the costume to her and be able to trace her from there."

"Dr. Sawyer, what about Sammy's condition?" Jim worriedly asked. "If he is as injured as you say, how is this abduction going to affect his health?"

"Well sir, that's the one bright spot in this mess. The supply room was broken into last night and the only things taken aside from bandages, gauze pads, and syringes were the same exact medicines that Sammy was being given." Dr Sawyer informed the hunters. "And Sammy's chart disappeared the same time he did. I think it's safe to assume that whoever kidnapped little bit is planning on taking care of the kid."

"I hope you're right." Pastor Jim sighed.

"What about Dean, doc?" Bobby asked tapping a finger on the table. "You said the boys were in the same room. And I know for a fact that Dean's a light sleeper. How did the lady get past Dean without him noticing?"

"Well, I'm afraid that one's my fault." Dr. Sawyer confessed as he self consciously began rubbing the back of his head. "See, we put them in the same room thinking that maybe Dean would relax if his little brother was in his sight. But it didn't exactly work out that way. Once he got Sammy in his sights he all but refused to rest. Said he had to watch out for his little brother. So I kinda gave him a sedative last night to make sure he got a good night's sleep. I was afraid he'd sit up all night watching his brother if I didn't. I swear the kid's like a mama bear where his brother's concerned."

"Ya ain't telling us anything we didn't already know." Bobby admitted with a chuckle. "How'd he take the news about Sammy?"

"He, uhh, he doesn't know yet." Dr. Sawyer confessed. "Dean's still sleeping. I was kinda hoping that you guys would break the news for me. I, uhh, kinda like my teeth where they are."

"Oh, joy" Bobby sarcastically muttered. "This is gonna be as much fun as root canal."

"Look at it this way Bobby. At least you're in a hospital with life saving equipment." Jim quipped with a chuckle. Pushing back his chair he stood and patted his old friend on the back. The two hunters followed the doctor out the door and down the hall.

A little while later

Dean awoke to hushed voices. Taking stock of himself he was thrilled to notice that the pounding drum solo of the day before had dulled to a slight headache. Self assessment over he concentrated on the other people in the room. Keeping his eyes closed he focused in on the two voices he heard attempting to determine who they were. Hearing Bobby's gruff voice and Pastor Jim's soothing tone Dean smiled and slowly opened his eyes. "Hey, Bobby, Jim" he called out as he fumbled for the bed remote. Finally locating the device he pushed a button and raised the head of the bed so that he was in a sitting position. Dean glanced over at the other side of the room and frowned at Sammy's empty bed. "Where's Sammy?" he asked his uncles. Recalling a vague memory from the night before he added, "He still at x-ray?"

Bobby's ears perked up at Dean's statement. He quickly stood and walked over to sit on the side of Dean's bed. "X-ray? Who told you he was in x-ray, Dean?" Bobby inquired.

"That nurse last night." Dean answered rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "I woke up and she had Sammy on a gurney. She said he was going to get a chest x-ray and that he'd be right back." Sensing something was wrong he asked, "Shouldn't he be back by now?"

"Dean, this is really important son. What did the nurse look like?" Bobby prodded.

Worried bubbled to the surface as Dean took in his uncle's anxious expressions. He focused in on the hazy memory trying to recall anything about the nurse that took Sammy out of the room. "She looked like all the other nurses. She had her hair up in a bun and she was wearing a white nurse's uniform like everyone else." He told his uncles. "She even tal…wait a minute! There was something off. She didn't have one of those badge thingies that everybody here wears."

"Good, Dean, that's good." Bobby praised. "Anything else?"

Dean ran a hand through his hair racking his brain for any scrap of information that he might have missed. "Yeah, she, uhhh, she looked really familiar but I can't quite place her." He huffed. "I know I've seen her somewhere but I just can't remem…" Dean stopped suddenly eyes widening in panic. "Ohhh God! Mrs. Pool!" he shouted grabbing Bobby's arm. "Mrs. Pool's got Sammy!"

A week later

Sammy lay in his bed enjoying the peace and quiet the early morning brought. He could hear the sounds of the woman who called herself his mom moving around in the kitchen. He still wasn't sure he believed her. The name felt so foreign on his tongue and she didn't really act like he thought a mother should. After all, she kept trying to convince him that his name was Joey when he knew it was Sammy. She'd said that the doctor had gotten him mixed up with another patient but he didn't buy it. Sammy just sounded right to him so he'd refused to answer to anything but that. She'd had a fit but in the end Sammy had won that little war.

Tuning her out Sammy relaxed and concentrated on trying to recall anything from his lost past. But no matter how hard he tried he couldn't force any memories to the forefront of his mind. All Sammy got for his trouble were a few fleeting glimpses of places and a headache. Pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and pointer finger and closing his eyes he let his thoughts drift to an easier topic; his dreams. He'd been having odd dreams for a few days now. Some of the things in his dreams made him smile. The boy with the green eyes, a junkyard and a church, a big black house that roared, and a huge teddy bear wearing a ball cap made him feel safe and loved. He wasn't sure why the teddy bear didn't terrify him. All he knew was the gruff looking bear was really just an old softie. He couldn't say that about the rest of his dreams. They were filled with guns and shootings, and storybook monsters, creatures with fangs and claws that chased him. And through it all a harsh voice shouted at him that he wasn't good enough and that he should suck it up.

A loud BANG! from the kitchen startled Sammy out of his thoughts. Jumping he quickly opened his eyes and glanced around afraid that one of the horrible creatures had entered the cabin. Realizing it was just a dropped pot he calmed himself down and sighed. Relaxing back onto the bed he frowned. Something about this didn't feel right either. It felt like he should be doing something, not sitting around on his behind. Groaning as his headache grew Sammy cleared his mind. He took steady deep breathes until the pressure eased off to a more manageable level. Hearing the clock chime eight he wrapped an arm around his sore chest and sat up. He gave himself a few seconds and then slowly stood and shuffled across the room and out the door. He carefully stored all his private thoughts away as he walked down the hall to the bathroom. For now he'd have to play her little game. But when he got stronger, he was out of here.

At the local records building with the Winchesters

"We can't just sit here, dad!" Dean huffed. "We need to be out there looking for Sammy. It's already been a week! There's no telling what that witch is doing to him!"

"We are doing something, Dean." An aggravated John replied. "Bobby and Jim are checking out the house she lived in with Joey, Caleb and Josh are talking to all her old friends and the people at the asylum, and we are going to go through these records to see if she or anybody else in her family have any houses, trailers, or any other property where she might hide out with Sammy. There's nothing else we can do right now. We can't just blindly drive around the state looking for her and Sammy. She's too smart to be caught out in the open like that."

"I know dad" Dean conceded. "It's just that I, I miss him. And I know he's got to be scared and lonely and, and he needs me, dad. Not her, me."

"I know champ. I miss him, too." John said. "But we have to keep going. This is our best lead to Sam…"

"Dad! I got it!" Dean broke in holding up an old piece of paper. "She's at her parents' cabin!"


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW.

Previously on Supernatural- "Dad! I got it!" Dean broke in holding up an old piece of paper. "She's at her parents' cabin!"

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After taking care of business in the bathroom, Sammy slowly shuffled down the short hall stopping at the entrance to the kitchen. Taking a calming breath he pasted on a fake smile and tottered into the room. "Good morning mom" he greeted as he made his way over to the table and eased himself into a chair.

Mrs. Pool dropped the spatula she was using and spun around at the sound of her son's voice. Taking in the pale face and pain filled eyes of the boy in front of her she immediately walked over to the table. "What are you doing out of bed, young man? Didn't mommy tell you yesterday that it was too soon for you to be getting up and moving around?" she asked placing a hand on her hip. "You march yourself right back to bed Joe, I mean Sammy."

"But I feel okay mom. Can't I stay here and eat breakfast with you? Please?" Sammy begged pinning her with his puppy dog eyes.

Mrs. Pool took one look at her son's woebegone expression and melted. She hadn't been able to say no to that look when her son was a toddler and she certainly couldn't now. "Well, I guess it would be alright." She agreed. "But after breakfast, it's straight to bed for you."

"Yes ma'am" Sammy replied with a grin. It felt good to sit up in a chair after all those days of lying flat and he wanted to keep this small freedom as long as he could. He was sick and tired of lying in bed doing nothing all day. But with only baby toys in his room there wasn't much else he could do. The cabin didn't even have a television. Not wanting to go back to that stuffy old room anytime soon Sammy decided to make breakfast last as long as possible. He quietly watched as the woman turned back to the stove and started flipping pancakes and stirring a pan of scrambled eggs for their breakfast. Once he was certain that she was occupied Sammy glanced around the kitchen and small dining room. He carefully studied each and every picture on the wall frowning as he noticed that the only pictures of him seemed to be when he was very small. There was not a single picture of him from the last few years. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye he quickly turned around and smiled at Mrs. Pool as she brought two heaping plates of food to the table.

"Here you go sweetie." Mrs. Pool cooed setting the plate of food in front of her little boy. After setting her own plate down, she went over to the cabinets and pulled out silverware and two glasses. She placed those on the table as well and then hurried over to the refrigerator. She grabbed the orange juice, filled their glasses, and picked up Sammy's medication before taking a seat at the table.

Sammy scooped some scrambled eggs into his spoon and blew on it before popping it into his mouth. He slowly chewed his food as he worked out what he wanted to say to this mystery woman. He had so many questions he didn't know where to begin. Finally deciding to start with something simple he swallowed his mouthful of eggs and asked, "Mom, do you think we could go to the library in town for a little while today? I'd like to get a few books to read."

"I'm afraid that's not possible honey." Mrs. Pool stated shaking her head. "You're not strong enough to go anywhere yet. You shouldn't even be out of bed."

"But mom, I'm bored just lying in bed. There's nothing to do in my room." Sammy informed her. "Please, I promise we won't stay long."

"I'm sorry baby, I am. But you're just not ready." Mrs. Pool replied with a sigh. "You know, I think some of your books are packed up in boxes in the storage room. I'll go get them and bring them to you after breakfast. How does that sound?"

"Okay" Sammy muttered dropping his eyes to the table. He'd been hoping he would be able to check out a few newspapers at the library but it didn't look like he would get his wish. Sighing he turned back to his breakfast.

Outside the records building

Hearing the rumble of the Bobby's truck John grabbed his crutches and carefully stood. He slowly followed Dean to the waiting truck waving off Bobby's helping hands. Throwing his crutches into the truck bed John climbed into the back seat biting down on his lip to keep a groan of pain from escaping. He squirmed around on the seat for a few minutes attempting to find a comfortable position. Finally giving up he slouched down in his seat. "Did ya get a hold of the others, Bobby?" he asked wrapping a hand around his chest.

"Yeah, they said they'll meet us there." Bobby relayed as he stole a glance at his friend. Noticing the pinched expression that signaled pain he sighed. Knowing it would get him no where he added, "Johnny, maybe you should sit this one out. That cabin's five hours away from here and you're not in any shape to make the tr…"

"Not a chance." John growled. "That bitch has my son and I'm going to get him back. I already wasted enough time lying around in that hospital as it is."

"John, you weren't wasting time. You were on a ventilator and had a chest tube in." Bobby reminded him. "You had to be in the hospital. Actually you should still be in there."

"Don't think the hospital staff want to see dad again." Dean threw in smirking at Bobby in the rearview mirror.

"You can say that again, kid" Bobby mumbled.

"What? He deserved what he got." John defended crossing his arms as he remembered the day he learned of Sammy's abduction.

Flashback (two days after Sammy's kidnapping)

Bobby and Dean sat in chairs on either side of John's bed waiting for the eldest Winchester to wake up. His doctor, Dr. Mayer, had extended the sedative order once he found out about Sammy's abduction. Afraid his patient would do something rash he had refused to lift the order until John was off the ventilator and the chest tube had been removed. Bobby had tried to warn the doc that John was going to be pissed but the man wouldn't budge. The chest tube had finally been removed this morning and now they were just playing a waiting game.

Bobby sat and waited for an hour before getting restless. Standing he stretched and called out, "I'm gonna go check in with Caleb and Josh." He walked out of the room and down the hall to the row of pay phones. After talking with Joshua who had no new info on the Pool woman, he made his way back to John's room. Walking in the door he was met with two sets of eyes. "Hey Johnny" he greeted. "How you feeling?"

"Where's Sammy?" John croaked rubbing at his parched throat.

"Well John, you see…" Bobby began.

"Ahh, Mr. Winchester, you're awake. I must say you gave us quite a scare. " Dr. Mayer said as he hurried into the room. Walking up to the side of the bed he glanced at Dean and Bobby. "Now if you two gentlemen will kindly leave the room, I'd like to examine my patient."

John nodded at Dean and Bobby letting them know it was okay to leave. He watched them go and then turned back to the doctor. "Where is Sammy?" he repeated glaring up at the doctor.

"Mr. Winchester, I'll fill you in on everything later." Dr. Mayer stated. "Right now I need to…"

"You ain't laying a hand on me till you tell me where my son is!" John demanded pushing himself into a sitting position on the bed. "I know something's wrong! Tell me what's going on!" Crossing his arms in front of his chest he glared at the doctor.

Dr. Mayer glanced from his patient to the monitors frowning at the man's increased heart rate. "Now Mr. Winchester, you really must calm down." He urged. "I'd hate to have to sedate you again."

John moved so fast the doctor didn't have a chance to react. John's hand shot out grabbing the lapels of the doctor's lab coat. Clutching the fabric in his fist he yanked the doctor off balance pulling him until his face was inches from John's. "That would be the last mistake you'd ever make." He hissed tightening his grip. He glared at the doctor for a couple of seconds before releasing the man.

Dr. Mayer backed away from the bed and straightened his coat. He took a deep breath and then walked over to the phone making sure he stayed out of John's reach. Looking down at his patient in disdain Dr. Mayer hit a button on the phone and said, "Yes, I need security up in room 40 immediately."

Seeing the doctor heading for the phone John quickly began pulling off the various wires that were attached to him. Ignoring the flat tone that filled the room he unclipped the monitor from his finger and then carefully pulled the iv port out of the back of his hand. Tossing the blanket off him John threw his legs off the bed, grabbed the handrail on the bed, and slowly stood up only to fall back on the bed when his legs refused to co-operate.

"Mr. Winchester, what do you think you're doing?" Dr. Mayer angrily questioned.

"I'm checking myself out of this place and going to find my son." John growled. "And I will find him even if I have to tear this damn hospital apart to do it."

"Fine. Go ahead. But you won't find your son." Dr. Mayer cockily spat. Seeing the shocked look on his patient's face he continued, "You see, your youngest son was taken from the hospital by an unknown woman two days ago. The police have no clue who she is or where she went but judging by your temper I'd say she did the kid a favor. He's…" John's fist impacting the good doctor's face cut him off before he could finish his rant.

John glared down at the unconscious man as he fought to get his breathing under control. Reaching back he leaned a hand against the wall for support. His baby boy was gone; kidnapped. And whoever had him had gotten a two day head start thanks to the jackass of a doctor. Deciding that more than enough time had been wasted John pushed off of the wall and slowly hopped over to the small closet by the bed. Snatching his clothes he sat on the bed and dressed as quickly as he could. He had just finished putting on his shirt when Bobby rushed back into the room with a pair of crutches.

Bobby glanced down at the unconscious doctor and smirked. "Stupid prick" he muttered handing the crutches to John and helping him stand. "Time to go Johnny!" he stated. "Dean can't hold them off for long." He followed John to the door and peeked out. Once he was sure the coast was clear he helped John out the door and the two disappeared down the hall.

End of flashback

"Yeah, okay. Your doctor was a first class heel." Bobby conceded as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. "But he was right about you needing to rest and heal up."

"I'll rest after we find Sammy." John said tapping his fingers impatiently as they waited for Jim. He rolled his eyes as Jim emerged from the room with an armful of pillows and blankets. Opening the door he took the items from his friend and settled in for the long drive ahead.

At the cabin

Sammy leaned against the headboard staring at his new books in disgust. _"Goodnight Moon", "Pat the Bunny", and "The Little Engine that Could"? What does she think I am? Two?" _Sammy thought as he shoved the books off the bed. Sammy's eyes went wide as he recalled the photos in the other rooms. "First all the pictures are of me as a little kid and now she brings me children's books? Something's definitely not right about this." He concluded with a yawn. Feeling the pain pills beginning to take effect Sammy reluctantly wiggled down onto the bed and closed his eyes. He'd have to figure things out when he woke up.

A few hours later

Sammy tossed and turned in his sleep as a new nightmare began. He was hiding in a car as an enraged Mrs. Pool banged on the windows. He was terrified as she ran from window to window banging and demanding to be let in. Then the scene changed. He was outside the car and Mrs. Pool was dragging him away from the big teddy bear and the boy with the green eyes. Struggling to break free he kicked at the woman and ran back to the teddy bear not feeling safe until he was wrapped in the bear's arms. The scene changed once again. This time he was in a car and the nightmare voice was back taunting him, shouting that he wasn't good enough. There was a bright light and he turned just in time to see another car plow into them!

Sammy shot up in bed gasping for breath. Glancing around at the brightly painted room he slowly began to calm down. He ran a shaky hand across his face and thought over the events of his nightmare. Mrs. Pool was not his mother. Of that much he was sure. Maybe the teddy bear was his family? After all, it was the only thing in the dream that made him feel safe. And what about the green eyed boy? How did he fit? Pinching the bridge of his nose Sammy went over his options. He could stay here with Mrs. Pool or he could leave and try to find his real family. But if he left, where would he start? He didn't remember any particular place.

Hearing footsteps coming down the hall, Sammy quickly laid back and closed his eyes. He stayed perfectly still as the door to his room opened. After he heard the door close, he remained still for another minute just to make sure she was gone. Sammy opened his eyes and sat up once more. Pulling back the blankets he carefully set his feet on the floor and stood up. He had to get out of here. He didn't want to be anywhere near Mrs. Pool. He'd go to the police. Surely they could find his family for him.

Sammy quietly pulled on his shoes and tiptoed to the door. Peeking out he was relieved to find the hallway empty. He crept down the hall stopping to glance in every doorway. Coming to the kitchen he peered inside jerking back when he saw her sitting at the table reading a cook book. Taking a deep breath he glanced back in the kitchen and smiled. Her back was to the open doorway. Steeling himself Sammy silently walked past the doorway and through the living room to the front door. He slowly opened the door and stepped outside.

On the road

Bobby kept his eyes glued to the road. He knew they were getting close to the cabin and he didn't want to miss the driveway. "Think we should wake them up yet?" he whispered to Pastor Jim.

Jim glanced back at the sleeping Winchesters and shook his head. "Let them sleep." He replied.

"Your funereal" Bobby muttered as he drove up a good sized hill. Starting down the hill he blinked against the fading sun. Catching sight of someone walking along the opposite side of the road he slowed the truck down. As they got closer he figured out that it was a kid and a young one at that. Coming up on the kid Bobby sucked in a breath. He'd know that mop of brown hair anywhere. Pulling the truck to the side of the road he quickly shut off the engine and jumped out of the vehicle. "Sammy!" he hollered as he raced across the road.

Hearing a gruff voice call his name Sammy stopped walking and turned around. He cautiously eyed the approaching stranger wondering how the man knew his name. His eyes traveled from the flannel shirt and jeans to the stranger's face before finally landing on the cap; the teddy bear's cap! Smiling Sammy ran to the stranger and jumped into the man's waiting arms. Ignoring the pain shooting through his ribs he laid his head on the man's shoulder and threw his arms around his neck. Feeling safe for the first time in days Sammy looked up into the man's smiling face and shyly said, "Daddy?"


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Thank you to everyone who is reading this story. And a special thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to leave a review.

Previously on Supernatural- Feeling safe for the first time in days Sammy looked up into the man's smiling face and shyly said, "Daddy?"

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Bobby's grip around Sammy tightened as his heart swelled with joy at hearing one of the boys he loved so dearly calling him daddy. He stood holding the little boy enjoying the mistaken title for a moment before gently saying, "I'm not your daddy, kiddo. I'm Uncle Bobby, remember?"

Sammy sadly shook his head. "But, but then where's my daddy? Why isn't he here?" Sammy inquired jumping as one of the truck doors slammed shut. Glancing over he saw a man in a black suit walking toward them. He gasped recognizing the man from his dreams immediately. He pointed to the approaching figure with his good arm. "It's the angel!" he breathed out.

A chuckle broke through Bobby's lips before he could stop it. "Jim? An angel? Not by a long shot, sport. That's just Pastor Jim. He's another one of your uncles."

"Hello, Sammy, thanks for the compliment." Pastor Jim greeted as he walked up to the two and ruffled the youngest Winchester's hair. "But what made you think I was an angel?"

"My dreams" Sammy simply stated. He went on to explain to the curious men. "There was a church in them. It had a huge stained glass window with you and another angel painted on it. You had wings and a halo and everything."

"Another guy? What did he look like, Sammy?" Bobby questioned as he started back to the truck with Sam securely held in his arms.

"Ummm, he was tall and he looked like he was a lot younger than you. He had black hair and bright blue eyes." Sammy described cocking his head to stare at his uncles when they both burst out laughing.

"Caleb! An angel! That's a good one! Wait till I tell Joshua!" Bobby got out between chuckles.

Noticing Sammy's confused expression Jim quickly began to explain. "Sorry Sammy, it's just that Caleb is…"

"SAMMY!" a voice hollered from across the street.

Glancing up in surprise Sammy saw a young boy barreling towards them. Leaning into the safety of his uncle he scrutinized the teenager cautiously. Nothing about the boy was the least bit familiar until he saw the stranger's jade green eyes. Relaxing his tense posture Sammy smiled down at the boy. "Hi" he greeted.

"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed reaching up to his little brother. Wrapping his arms around his little brother he carefully took him from Bobby's arms and gently hugged him. "I missed you, man." He admitted ducking to prevent getting a face full of cast. "Hey, careful, squirt."

"Sorry" Sammy apologized readjusting his grip on the older boy.

"Not a problem, little brother" Dean assured him as he followed Bobby across the yellow lines marking the middle of the road. "Just try to be…"

"JOEY! JOEY, where are you?" Mrs. Pool's terrified voice bellowed from the opposite side of the road. Rounding the bend of the dirt drive she scowled at the group trying to take her baby from her once more. "Oh no you don't! Come back here with my son!" she yelled before sprinting into the road.

Dean, Sammy, and the two men all stopped and turned at the sound of Mrs. Pool's voice. Determined not to let the insane woman get her hands on Sammy again Bobby and Jim immediately put themselves in front of the boys as Dean tightened his grip on Sammy and slowly started to back away. All four were shocked by what happened next.

Eyes locked on her son Mrs. Pool dashed into the street to reclaim what was rightfully hers. Not paying attention to her surroundings she had no chance to evade the Chevy that careened around the corner. It slammed into her tossing her into the windshield and over the car. She cart wheeled onto the road and lay motionless as a police cruiser screeched to a stop just inches from her head.

Dean stood stock still as the woman that had caused so much trouble for his family was violently rammed by the car. His mouth dropped open as her body was tossed over the car and then rolled a little ways down the road before coming to a stop. Staring at the body lying in the road Dean became conscious of shaking. Blinking he forced himself to look away from the horrible scene. Seeing his little brother's terrified wide eyes glued to the still body kicked started Dean's protective streak. Grasping Sammy's chin he gently turned the little boy's head away from the carnage and settled it on his shoulder. "Its okay, Sammy. Everything's alright now, little brother." Dean whispered as he slowly rubbed a hand up and down Sam's back.

"Jim, take the boys back to the truck." Bobby instructed. "I'll handle this." He glanced both ways and then stomped over to the policeman's side thinking over what information to tell the man.

"Come on Dean. Let's get Sammy away from this mess." Jim softly urged. He placed a hand on Dean's free shoulder and steered the boys towards the truck. Hearing the truck door squeak open he glanced up to see John struggling to get out. Rolling his eyes he quickly called out, "Stay there John! We'll come to you!"

"Not a chance" John muttered as he pulled himself out of the truck and reached for his crutches. He quickly set them under his arms and began the difficult journey to his boys. Luckily he ended up only having to take a few steps before Jim and the boys walked up to him. Smiling at his baby boy John reached out a shaky hand to brush a stray hair out of his son's face. "Hey Sammy. You okay, sport?" he asked.

Sammy shrunk back from the new stranger recognizing the deep gravelly voice from his nightmares. Not wanting to be anywhere near the voice he squirmed and wiggled until Dean put him down. The second his feet met the road Sammy took off across the road screaming for the one person he knew would protect him. "Uncle Bobby! Uncle Bobby!" he hollered.

Hearing Sammy's frightened yells Bobby turned and dashed towards the littlest Winchester. He dropped to one knee on the center line of the highway and held out his arms bracing as Sammy barreled into him. He gently picked the child up frowning as Sammy's pleas of "don't let him get me" reached his ears. Alarmed by the whispered words and the intense shaking Bobby slowly began rocking back and forth like he'd seen John do time after time with a much younger Sammy. Shaking his head in warning to the others Bobby walked over to the policeman who was standing at the side of the road while keeping up a steady stream of assurances. After several tense minutes Sammy finally began to calm down eventually falling asleep in his uncle's embrace. Smiling down at the sleeping youngster Bobby conversed with the policeman for a couple more minutes before walking back to the truck and climbing in the front passenger seat. "Somebody wanna tell me what happened?" he gruffly whispered once the other men were in the truck.

"No clue" Dean softly replied. "One second he was fine and the next he's struggling to get out of my arms and running to you."

Seeing the look of doubt cross Bobby's face Jim quickly added his two cents. "Dean's telling the truth, Bobby. There was no reason for Sammy to react like that. No one did anything. John had just said…Wait a minute! That's it! Sammy wasn't reacting to something one of us did; he was reacting to John's voice."

"My voice? Why the hell would that freak him out?" John growled wincing when he saw Sammy flinch in his sleep.

"Maybe because all you do lately is yell at the poor kid." Bobby angrily whispered. "Ever since Sammy found out about what's really out there, you've treated him like a soldier at boot camp."

"That's not true." Dean protested. "Dad doesn't do that. He's always patient with us and tells us we did a good job."

"Yeah, right" Bobby muttered. "And I'm the Easter bunny. Like my fluffy tail?"

"Enough gentlemen" Pastor Jim warned. "Save it for later. Right now let's concentrate on taking care of Sammy."

"Sorry Jim, you're right." Bobby apologized. "I think the first thing we need to do is get Sammy checked out to make sure he's healing alright. There's a clinic about ten more miles down the road on the left. The cop said to ask for a Dr. Sanders."

"What about the cop? Should we be expecting problems?" John asked setting aside his anger for the moment.

"Nah, I don't think so." Bobby said. "I told him about Mrs. Pool taking Sammy from the hospital. Said that we got a call from her and we had traced it to this area. Besides, he's probably got other things to worry about; like Mrs. Pool's death."

Seeing his brother begin to stir Dean scooted onto the edge of his seat and leaned against the back of the front bench effectively blocking their dad from Sam's view. "Hey kiddo" he greeted when Sammy opened his eyes. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah" Sammy yawned glancing around. "Where are we going?"

"Well, we're gonna go to the clinic and get you checked out by a doctor and then we're headed to the closest hotel." Bobby informed him. "I think we all could use some rest."

Sammy gulped at the mention of a dreaded doctor. "Do I hafta go? I feel okay."

"Sorry sport" Bobby replied. "We need to make sure you're alright."

Nodding his head in understanding Sammy glanced between Bobby and Dean. "Will you guys stay with me?" he whispered.

"You couldn't get rid of me if you tried little brother." Dean assured Sammy.

"That goes for me too champ" Bobby agreed with a smile. Wanting to get Sammy's mind off the impending doctor's visit he quickly changed the subject. "Sammy, you said you had dreams about us, right? You said Jim and Caleb were angels." Ignoring Dean's snort he continued, "What about Dean here? Was he in the dreams, too?"

"Yes sir" Sammy replied. "He looks just like he did in my dreams."

"Was there ever any doubt" Dean boasted laughing at Sammy's famous eye roll. "Hey, what about Bobby? Was he an angel, too? No wait, I bet he was a giant casserole."

"Nope, he was a great big teddy bear." Sammy proudly informed them. "He was even wearing that cap."

Snickering at the blush that crept over Bobby's face Dean gently pressed for more. "What else was in your dream, Sammy?"

"Ummm, well there was another man." Sammy hesitantly offered. "He umm, he was dressed like Santa Claus and he kept coming to a junkyard bringing me stuffed animals and saying he was sorry about the clown thing."

All four men burst out laughing at the image of their friend Joshua in a Santa Claus suit. A few moments later Bobby wiped his eyes and said, "That would be Uncle Josh, Sammy. He's always bringing you a stuffed animal of some kind."

"Anything else stand out, Sammy?" Pastor Jim asked as he turned into the parking lot of the small clinic.

"Yeah, there's one more thing." Sammy replied. "There's a black house. It has wheels and it roars."

Silence filled the truck as the stunned men attempted to deal with Sammy's heartfelt statement.

Shaking his head in sadness Pastor Jim pulled into a parking spot and cut the engine. Shoving all negative thoughts to the side he smiled and cheerfully announced, "We're here."

Bobby climbed out of the truck and turned to help Sammy out. Seeing the little boy reaching for him Bobby smiled and picked up his nephew carefully. Walking beside Dean they followed Pastor Jim into the entrance of the clinic and up to the desk. After asking for Dr. Sanders the group made their way to the chairs lined up against the wall and took a seat. Within minutes a nurse opened the door across from them and called Sammy's name. Picking up Sammy once more Bobby stood and walked up to the nurse with Dean right behind him. They were ushered through the door and out of sight.

Pastor Jim sat in the uncomfortable plastic chair shooting worried glances at John as he filled out the required paperwork. He waited until his friend was finished with his task and the papers were taken before venturing, "Are you alright, John?"

Hundreds of sarcastic remarks were on the tip of John's tongue but he swallowed them down. Scrubbing a weary hand across his face he sighed. "No" he honestly answered. "Sammy remembers everybody but me. And to make it worse he's afraid of me for some reason. My own baby boy is terrified of me."

Pastor Jim placed a comforting hand on John's shoulder. "Hang in there Johnny. Sammy's just a little confused right now. He'll come around. We just have to take it slow and give him all the love and support we can."

"How can I do that when he won't let me get near him?" John growled.

"Give him time, John." Jim instructed. "Try being the daddy you were when the boys were younger. When he sees you acting like that instead of the drill sergeant you've been lately, he'll let you in his circle. You just have to be patient with him."

"I'll try, Jim. But I'm not sure I can be that man anymore." John confessed. "I'm not sure I know how."

"You'll find a way." Jim assured his friend. "You always do. Now I don't know about you, but I could sure use a cup of coffee." Standing he headed for the nurse's desk. "Be right back." He called over his shoulder.

John leaned back in his chair and stretched out his aching leg. Closing his eyes he let the memories flood his mind searching for the daddy he once was.

A couple of hours and several cups of coffee later the small family walked out of the clinic's doors with a sleeping Sammy held securely in Bobby's arms. They climbed into the truck and pulled out of the parking lot heading for the middle of town. Glancing from side to side the group searched for a decent hotel to stay in for a few days. Finally spotting a Holiday Inn Jim quickly turned into the parking lot and turned off the engine. The worn out group climbed out of the truck once last time and disappeared inside the hotel.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Supernatural and all its characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I own nothing.

Well, we finally made it to the end of the story. Thanks to everyone who has been kind enough to read this one. Y'all really are the best!

Previously on Supernatural- The worn out group climbed out of the truck once last time and disappeared inside the hotel.

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The uncomfortable feeling of being stared at woke Sammy out of a sound sleep the next morning. Sighing he slowly opened his eyes and found himself face to face with a smiling Dean. Sammy gave his big brother a shy smile before gazing around the unfamiliar room in search of his uncle. Not seeing his protector anywhere he began to panic.

Dean watched Sammy from his spot on the bed beside the younger boy. He smiled as his little brother's brilliant hazel eyes opened and looked up at him. That smile fell however when Sammy's breathing sped up and tears filled his wide eyes. Noticing how Sammy's eyes bounced around the hotel room Dean quickly figured out the problem. "He's in the shower Sammy. Uncle Bobby hasn't left us. You're okay." He assured his brother. Dean's cocky grin came back as Sammy's gaze turned to the bathroom door and he slowly began to calm down. Seeing a shadow move out of the corner of his eye Dean glanced over to the adjoining doorway of the other room. Knowing by the position of the shadow that their dad was standing behind the door listening Dean decided to attempt to find out what was going on with his brother's fear of John. Figuring he needed to start small he asked, "How are you feeling, Sammy? You're not hurting or anything, are you?"

"I'm okay, just a little sore." Sammy fibbed as he continued to stare at the bathroom door.

"It's okay to say you're hurting Sammy." Dean instructed as he plucked a prescription bottle off the nightstand. "There are no doctors with shots here. Just me and some pills that'll make you feel better."

"That's what that doctor said last night. And it didn't make me feel better, it just made my ass hurt worse than the rest of me." Sammy grumbled as he struggled to pull himself up one handed.

Dean snorted at his brother's comment. Seeing Sammy's struggles he rearranged the pillows and gently helped him sit up. "There you go Sammy" Dean said. "Now that you're comfortable is there anything you wanna talk about or ask me?"

"You mean besides why doctors have such a fascination with people's behinds?" Sammy joked giggling at Dean's eye roll. "Yeah, I have a lot of questions, actually starting with where are we?"

"That's easy. We're still in that same little Podunk town in Georgia we were yesterday. We just moved the party to a Holiday Inn a few miles from the clinic." Dean informed his little brother. "Anything else?"

"Ummm" Sammy began looking down at his lap. Toying with the hem of his shirt he quietly asked, "What about our parents? Is our mom coming to get us?"

Dean felt like he'd been punched in the gut. He had to fight to keep his own emotions under control as memories of their mother flooded his mind. Pushing them back down Dean carefully schooled his expression. "Our mom, she uhhh, she died when you were a baby." He mumbled.

"Oh" Sammy sadly whispered. "That explains it then."

"Explains what?" Dean inquired gazing curiously at his brother.

"Why it felt so wrong to call somebody mom" Sammy replied with a sad smile. "Guess somehow, some part of me knew I didn't have one."

"You have a mom, Sammy. She's just not able to be here with us anymore." Dean comforted. He leaned back against the headboard of the bed close enough to Sam that their shoulders touched.

Sammy sat silently mulling over Dean's last statement. After a few minutes he peered up at the older boy and asked, "What about our dad? Is he still alive?"

"Course he is!" Dean huffed. "You met him yesterday. He was the dude with the crutches, remember?"

Sammy thought through the hazy memories of yesterday's events stopping at the image of a man getting out of a truck with crutches. Recalling the gruff voice from his nightmares Sammy gasped staring up at Dean with wide tear filled eyes. "Th-that's our, our dad?" he stammered.

"Yeah, man" Dean replied.

"But, but I don't, I don't want him to be my, my dad." Sammy whispered wrapping his arms around himself.

Looking over at his brother in confusion Dean frowned as Sammy curled into a ball and began shaking. "Sammy, what's a matter? Why are you so afraid of dad?" he softly asked. He pulled his little brother into his side and settled the younger boy's head on his shoulder.

Sammy released the hold on his legs and latched onto Dean's shirt with his good hand. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and said, "He's in my dreams, too. I can't see him; I just hear him yelling at me over and over to suck it up and to be more like you. Sometimes he shouts that I'm nothing but a screw up who's going to get you killed. He sounds so angry, like he wants to rip me apart or something. Why does he yell at me like that? Does dad hate me, Dean? Is that why he says he can't stand the sight of me?"

Shocked by his baby boy's statements, John backed away from the door stumbling against chairs and a table before his knees hit the bed and he collapsed. He propped his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. "What have I done?" he whispered as the tears began to fall.

Back in the boys' room

Dean reached over and took hold of Sammy's chin. He gently pulled up forcing his brother to look him in the eyes. "Now you listen and listen good. Dad doesn't hate you. Never has, never will." Dean firmly stated. "Dad just gets upset with us sometimes especially when we're training. He doesn't mean the things he says. He's just really good at saying the worst thing at the worst time. You know?"

"I guess" Sammy lied as he tried to stop the tears escaping. The last thing he wanted was for Dean to see him cry.

Luckily for Sammy Bobby chose that moment to walk out the bathroom door. Seeing the boys huddled together on the bed he hurried over to the bed and slowly sat down on the edge. "You two alright?" he asked grasping Sammy's legs and stretching them back out.

"Yes sir" Sammy whispered as he leaned back on Dean's shoulder.

"Don't let him fool you, Bobby" Dean stated handing over Sammy's prescription bottle. "He's hurting. I was gonna give him his meds but they say take with food and we don't have anything to eat in here."

"Guess that means I need to make a trip to the diner to pick up breakfast." Bobby announced. Grabbing his keys he asked, "What do you feel like eating, Sammy?"

"Ummm, I'm not very hungry." Sammy admitted. "Maybe some toast would be okay. But you don't have to bring something back. We can go out to eat, can't we? I'm tired of being cooped up in bed."

"Well, I don't know Sammy. I don't think you should really be moving around too much just yet especially when you're already hurting." Bobby told the little boy. Seeing the disappointed look in Sammy's puppy dog eyes Bobby sighed. "Guess it can't hurt to let you out for a little while." He conceded. "But you have to tell me when it's getting to be too much for you. Deal?"

"Deal" Sammy answered with a dimpled grin.

"Good, now you two boys go get yourselves cleaned up a little while I tell your daddy and Jim our plans." Bobby instructed as he headed for the door to the adjoining hotel room.

"Yes sir!" both boys called. Dean helped Sammy slowly stand up and totter to the bathroom.

In the other room

Jim walked out of the bathroom to find a very upset John Winchester sitting on the bed by the window. Taking a seat on the other bed he softly asked, "What's wrong, John?"

John took a moment to compose himself before answering his friend. "I heard the boys talking in the other room so I went and stood by the door. I just needed to hear Sammy's voice, you know?" he explained keeping his eyes firmly focused on his hands. "Dean asked him why he was afraid of me and do you know what he said? He said that in his dreams he keeps hearing me yelling at him. He asked Dean if I hated him. If that's why I was always yelling horrible things at him. My own son thinks I hate him, Jim! Have I really been that terrible a father to Sammy?"

"No John" Jim swiftly replied. "Granted you're not father of the year by any stretch of the imagination but you're not the worst either. I think it's kind of like this. Do you remember that old saying about not being able to see the forest for the trees?" Jim waited for John's nod before continuing. "Well, I think that you've been so busy focusing on the man you want Sammy to be that you've forgotten about the boy he is."

"But you don't understand, Jim. I have to train the boys to keep them safe. I don't have a choice." John defended.

"That's where you're wrong, John. You do have choices." Jim pointed out. "Like in their training for example. I remember when Dean was younger how you made his training seem like a game. You were the most patient person I've ever seen teaching him to shoot and you made a point of praising him for something at the end of every session. And before you say it, yes he was younger than Sammy when you started training him but only in the physical sense; mentally he was as old as you or I. Sammy is still a child in every sense of the word. If you want him to excel in the training, you have to do those things with him, too. Children don't respond well to pressure and taunts, they respond to praise."

"I know Jim, I know. But he's just so slow picking things up." John sighed. "Dean didn't have that…"

"Stop right there before you break the most important rule of being a good parent!" Pastor Jim interrupted. Seeing his friend's confused expression he explained, "Never compare your children."

"But…" John tried to say.

"But nothing" Bobby Singer broke in as he strolled into the room. Making himself comfortable in a chair at the small table he said, "Jim's right. That's the biggest mistake you could make."

"Look at it this way, John. You don't light into Dean about how Sammy's grades in school or better than his. Or how much faster he is at researching than any of the rest of us. Or even how…"

"Okay, okay, I get it." John huffed. "I need to change the way I train the boys. But that still doesn't help me with Sammy's memory. How are we gonna get that back? And how do I get him to trust me again?"

"Patience, John" Jim advised. "Sammy will remember when he feels he's safe. Just let him see that you have a soft, umm, teddy bear side, too."

"Oh gee, that's a big help." Bobby muttered adding, "teddy bear side, my ass" as he stood up. "Listen, you two old women can sit and discuss child rearing later. The boys are hungry and I promised Sammy that we could go to the diner for breakfast. So quit your yapping and meet us at the truck."

"Yes sir!" John and Jim called to Bobby as he walked back in the other room. They quickly threw on their shoes and walked out the door.

That afternoon

After a hearty breakfast at the diner and a lazy morning in the room, John was feeling pretty good about the way things were going. Sure Sammy still didn't want to be very close to him. But at least the kid wasn't running in fright anymore. And John had been able to keep his temper in check and play the part of the model daddy. All in all it had been a good morning. Flipping through the newspaper he stopped as an article caught his eye. He scanned the small report grinning when he noticed the date. It was perfect. Jumping out of his chair he hurried to the other room.

"Go fish" Dean stated with a grin. He waited for his little brother to pick up a card before asking, "Got any threes, Sammy?"

"Go fish" Sammy replied looking up as the door to the other room opened and John stepped in. "Oh, ummm, h-h-hi, d-da-dad" he stuttered.

"Hey boys" John greeted. Not wanting to frighten his youngest he took a seat at the table by the window and held up the paper. "I found something I thought you two might be interested in. A military base about thirty minutes from here is having an air show on Thursday. The Blue Angels are gonna be there and so will several other groups. And there's an air museum with tons of old and new aircraft to look at. It says they even have a stealth bomber."

"Really?" Sammy questioned reaching for the paper. He quickly read through the article eyes widening at the list of events. Glancing over at Dean he said, "It's gonna be awesome Dean! There's planes and helicopters, and everything! Can we go see them? Please?"

"Think you're asking the wrong person, little brother." Dean said pointing to John. "You're gonna have to ask dad about that."

Sammy glanced from the paper to his dad and back weighing the fear of his dad against the want to go to the show. The air show quickly won out. Swallowing on the lump in his throat Sammy peered up at his dad through his too long bangs. Taking a deep breath he asked, "D-dad, can we umm, can we go? Please?"

"Of course we can, Sammy" John replied with a smile that lit up the room. "I bet I can even tell you a few things about the older aircraft. I saw a lot of them when I was in the Corps."

"You did?" Sammy questioned scooting a little closer to the table as his curiosity took over. "Which ones?"

"Well, let's see" John began leaning back in his chair. He spent the next few hours entertaining the boys with stories about his days in boot camp. And by the time Bobby came in to announce supper was in the other room waiting for them John was sitting on the bed with Dean and Sammy on either side.

The next week saw a relaxed John playing and laughing with both his sons. After an exciting trip to the air show, Sammy seemed to grow closer to John reforming the bond the two had lost. He slowly started to recall bits and pieces of his childhood and this time the memories of his father were good ones even if John really wished that his son hadn't remembered the day he won the princess for a day contest at the boys' school and had to wear that ridiculous outfit. Some memories were better left forgotten.

One week after the air show the Winchesters and their friends packed up the truck and headed back to the town where the whole mess began to pick up the impala. They had spent more than enough time in one place and everyone was eager to get on the road. They decided to stay in town long enough for Bobby and John to repair the impala. Then they would split up with Pastor Jim and Dean driving while Bobby, John, and Sammy would fly. The group would all meet up at Bobby's place in a few days and stay there until John and Sammy got their casts off. As for Sammy he still didn't have one hundred percent of his memory back but he was recalling more every day. He and John had made their peace and each was trying very hard to make things work this time around. Only time would tell if they succeeded.

The End


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